CASPER
New member
Rays avoid elimination with 6-3 win over Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas – Rangers Ballpark was buzzing in anticipation of a long-awaited celebration and the Tampa Bay Rays had been dreadful at the plate.
Five outs from elimination, the Rays changed everything — and get to play another day.
"The fight showed up again, and that's a good sign," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.
John Jaso lined a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning after Carlos Pena had already delivered a rare clutch playoff hit for the Rays, who avoided elimination in the AL division series with a 6-3 victory Saturday over the Texas Rangers.
"I was so nervous, hoping we didn't get swept," said Carl Crawford, who homered for the Rays. "I feel so much better. It feels like we're winning the series right now."
Limited to a total of one run and eight hits while losing the first two games at home, Tampa Bay broke loose in the late innings.
The Rays, the AL's best team in the regular season, forced Game 4 on Sunday. A win would keep them alive for a deciding game in the best-of-five series Tuesday at Tropicana Field, where Texas had two impressive victories to start the series.
Ian Kinsler's leadoff homer in the seventh that put Texas up and appeared to set the stage for a series-clinching victory 50 seasons in the making. With the record crowd of 51,746 still hyped, Dan Johnson doubled off the wall with one out in the Rays eighth. Pena followed with an RBI single that made it 2-all.
"The whole attitude in the dugout, the spirit, everything, just came to life," Maddon said. "More like us."
ARLINGTON, Texas – Rangers Ballpark was buzzing in anticipation of a long-awaited celebration and the Tampa Bay Rays had been dreadful at the plate.
Five outs from elimination, the Rays changed everything — and get to play another day.
"The fight showed up again, and that's a good sign," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.
John Jaso lined a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning after Carlos Pena had already delivered a rare clutch playoff hit for the Rays, who avoided elimination in the AL division series with a 6-3 victory Saturday over the Texas Rangers.
"I was so nervous, hoping we didn't get swept," said Carl Crawford, who homered for the Rays. "I feel so much better. It feels like we're winning the series right now."
Limited to a total of one run and eight hits while losing the first two games at home, Tampa Bay broke loose in the late innings.
The Rays, the AL's best team in the regular season, forced Game 4 on Sunday. A win would keep them alive for a deciding game in the best-of-five series Tuesday at Tropicana Field, where Texas had two impressive victories to start the series.
Ian Kinsler's leadoff homer in the seventh that put Texas up and appeared to set the stage for a series-clinching victory 50 seasons in the making. With the record crowd of 51,746 still hyped, Dan Johnson doubled off the wall with one out in the Rays eighth. Pena followed with an RBI single that made it 2-all.
"The whole attitude in the dugout, the spirit, everything, just came to life," Maddon said. "More like us."
